Roadside bomb wounds 20 policemen in Egypt's Sinai

EL-ARISH, Egypt (AP) — A roadside bomb in Egypt's restive northern Sinai on Thursday wounded 20 policemen travelling in a bus and an armored personnel carrier, security officials said, the latest attack in the troubled part of the peninsula where Egyptian forces are battling an insurgency.

The bombing in the provincial capital of el-Arish came just a week after one of the most vicious attacks on Egyptian troops in the region, in which militants launched sustained, coordinated attacks on a northern Sinai town, military checkpoints and installations that drew a swift offensive and aerial bombardment from government aircraft. In that attack, at least 17 army soldiers were killed, according to Egypt's military, although other branches of security put the toll much higher.

The military said its troops killed over 200 militants since the attack and posted photographs of their bodies, most of them in military-style fatigues. Media access to the area is restricted, complicating independent verification of reports.

Government forces have been carrying out an intensified hunt for militants in several northern Sinai towns. But in el-Arish, a more densely populated area, government forces are more vulnerable to road side bombs — which have become a recurrent weapon used against troops.

The security officials said the bus carried policemen in civilian clothes as they left el-Arish at the start of their leave. The armored carrier was their escort, and was hit hardest by the bomb, according to the officials.

Most of the 20 policemen were lightly wounded, according to the officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak to the media.

In the past week, the officials said, homes of three policemen in el-Arish were also bombed, mostly causing damages.